The Heart of Hyrule
by The Blondest Brunette
Summary: Many millennia ago, it was believed that a heart existed – a heart that could harness the darkest of dark magic and transform it into the purest of pure magic, almost as easily as a master using a beginner spell. TP;LinkMidna
1. O n e

**Nothing is mine. Except for the game. But even then, it was created by someone else. Sad.**

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**Okay. Here goes. Right now we're before Twilight and right at the coming of Twilight. This will not be LinkOC; it will be LinkMidna. There will be no Zelda bashing. It won't be half as in-depth as the regular Zeldas, but I like how it works out. I've been dying for a good way to get them together, and I really like how this is. It's more of a TP add-on than a seperate Zelda.**

**Some parts I've taken from past Zelda's, but I think it all works out okay…**

**We're looking at 10-15 chapters. Not as much an action story as a romance.**

**Anyone out there like writing action scenes? If so, contact me somehow!**

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**The Heart Of Hyrule**

**1**

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The Heart Of Hyrule

_Many millennia ago, it was believed that a heart existed – a heart that could harness the darkest of dark magic and transform it into the purest of pure magic, almost as easily as a master using a beginner spell._

The heart would only be given to the purest of heart, and it would find a new owner once the current one died. It was said that it would only those whose lives have been twisted horribly from the wonderful life they were originally supposed to have, by drastic and painful means. The heart would only be given to a woman, and one who was almost opposite the reigning princess.

_The heart would have extreme magical powers, and if the possessor wasn't already blessed with powers, they would still be able to surpass even the greatest ancient wizards. It would allow the possessor to control the minds of others, along with their hearts. It could create or remove memories and feelings as wanted, without anything more than the uttering of a simple word._

It is, by far, the most powerful weapon that has ever been created. Many have tried to locate the possessor of the heart, but no one has located it to date. If the heart were to fall into the wrong hands, it is likely the whole world will be destroyed.

It is said that all the goddesses combined their powers to make the heart, therefore making a way to protect the world from even the darkest of evils.

Palenoah glared at the text. He had been looking for a way to locate the heart for hundreds of years now, and had been unsuccessful. He'd talked to the most revered sages and the darkest magicians, but none had any inkling as to how to find the heart.

He had yearned for the power since his mother had first told him the story, when he was no more than a tot. But year upon year passed, and Palenoah was no closer to finding it than the first day he had heard the story. He often wondered if he would be cursed to never find it, and almost regretted his wish to live until he had power over the heart.

He had found it once, and its power called to him. But he knew he wouldn't be able to use the powers, so he was left to wait for the possessor to become old enough to harness it herself. He could take care of things from there.

_Maybe burning that village wasn't the best idea_.

Leaning back in his chair, Palenoah set the worn book on the table and closed his eyes. He had always imagined meeting the woman, thinking her to be one of the finest beauties, and seducing her into giving him the power of the heart. If she would not be seduced –which he highly doubted- he would simply take it by force, as much as he hated striking a woman.

"M'lord." A young messenger stood at the door to Palenoah's study, clothes covered in dirt.

"Yes, Lehn?" Palenoah's bright green eyes narrowed slightly at the messenger of Yule'de.

"I have word about the heart. My master says she has found traces of it, but would tell me no details. She requests you meet her in her study." Lehn bowed low, waiting to be dismissed.

"Tell her I will be there soon." Palenoah couldn't help but smirk. _Finally!_

_-_

"Hakkumi!" The bartender glared at the rebellious teen.

"That would be my name, yes." The teen's blue eyes were sparkling and she was smiling.

"How many times have I told you not to be drinking the ale? You're underage, and you best know that I am tired of catching you." He sighed, and his face softened. "You couldn't have done a cleaner job, could you have? It's mighty embarrassing to have to discipline my own daughter during business hours. Yet you seem unaffected."

"Sorry, pops. I just… I feel something. Something bad's gonna happen, and I think I may as well get to become totally and completely drunk at least once before the world ends." She grinned. If her 'father' really knew how old she was, or just the fact that she wasn't his daughter, life would be totally different.

"Something bad's always gonna happen, in your mind," the bartender mumbled, but smiled at her. "I best be getting to work, and you best be getting to your practices. I'll be checking up on you soon, you hear me?" he asked, and she nodded.

He started to walk away, but added, "next time, for my sanity, don't get caught."

Hakkumi nodded as she took the stairs to her room two at a time. Once safely there, she pulled the chain that held her necklace away from herself.

_Why did you choose me? Me, of all people? Couldn't you have chosen someone who wanted you? And why did you suddenly reveal yourself that night, after everything?_

-

It was cold. That was one of the top things that the little girl knew at the moment. It was cold, she was alone, and she was lost. She had no idea how to get anywhere, or how to make fire, or anything that would help her at the moment. All she knew was how to leave markers to tell her that she had been there before. Currently, she had been in the same spot five different times. The trees looked the same, no matter where she went. _Everything_ was the same – dark, green, and dying. Frankly, she was tired of it. She wanted to go home. Where ever that was now. Her village had been burned three days ago, and she had escaped with only a bit of goat jerky and a mug of water. She had set out to the find the palace -the center of everything going on in Hyrule- and beg for a job. But now she was lost, in some forsaken forest, with no way to find her way out. Shivering, she sat down against a tree, hugging her knees close in an attempt to warm up. She stared up at the sky, but only saw the darkness of the tree branches.

She remembered the screams of the villagers as they had been burned alive, and how forcefully they had told her to run and find safety. She didn't know what made her so important, but she did realize that she wouldn't be able to help them at all. She had fled, the smell of burning flesh forever imprisoned in her memory. She swore vengeance on the purple-haired man who had destroyed her village, but wasn't making any progress besides getting perpetually stuck in a forest.

She could still hear their screams, their pleas, and it was keeping her from being able to fall asleep. Which, she decided, might be a good thing. She couldn't fall into hypo-something shock or whatever it was called. She sighed softly, her eyes drooping. Every time she would almost fall asleep, she'd either remember their screams or the smell, and would be wide awake again.

She wished her village would have been located nearer to the castle, instead of being as far southwest as it was. Every other month, the mayor's sons would ride out to the castle to trade goods and pick up sweets and such, but their trip always lasted for almost two weeks. Now, whether that was because the trip was so harrowing or whether they just goofed off when they reached the castle, she didn't know, but she hoped for the latter. Either way she looked at it, however, she knew it would be much over that time for her journey. She would have to go by foot, at least until she found a town. But without a map or even an idea of where places were located she was hopeless.

She wished she had taken the formal schooling that had been offered to her. Then she would have at least seen a map of Hyrule and have an idea of how to get somewhere. At this moment, she merely knew the kingdom was in the center, with Ordon Village somewhere off to the east, and Zora's domain up to the north. She knew there was a Kakiriko something-or-other over on the west, but wasn't sure of what else lied south. Suddenly, she heard the rapid pounding of hooves, and moved to hide behind the tree. It was dark enough where she was that no common person would be able to see her if they rode by. Holding her breath as the mass of horses and their riders rushed by, she again saw the black hair and violet eyes of their leader; the man who had taken great pleasure in killing most of the townsfolk. Though being a blur, she could make out the precious crest of her family – the wolf standing atop a mountain while rain fell from behind – on his pouch. Seeing that, it took all of her self control and more to not jump out and attack at that moment. She wanted to, with every bone in her body, but her logical side kept her silent. She fought back the tears as she heard his menacing laughter fill the night air. One day, she swore to herself, one day she would kill him, and one day, she would give him the opportunity to beg for mercy – something he hadn't let her loved ones do.

"We didn't get the girl, did we boss?" One of his lackeys asked.

"Not yet, no, but she is still to young. I will come back for her when she is older, for then she will be more susceptible to my _charms_." His men snickered as they rode off into the night.

The girl felt chills run down her spine. _They were looking for me,_ she thought. _They wanted me. I would have come willingly, if they promised not to hurt my family and friends… So why did they go to such extremes?_ She felt fresh tears well up in her eyes. _What gives them the right to kill off my family?? My friends!_ She almost started crying, but the sound of hoof beats stopped her once more. From her vantage point behind the trees she saw a handsome man on a beautiful horse. He slowed down, stopping right before her hiding spot.

"Hello?" the man called out, approaching her spot.

The girl caught a glimpse of the slightly glowing Triforce symbol on his hand. Seeing that, she felt like she could trust him and she started to move out from under her cover.

"You can come out… It's safe," the man called out, his eyes trying to pinpoint her location. The girl slowly came out, revealing her bruises, burns, and cuts. Her raven hair was knotted, and she surely did not look like the princess she would become later. She looked up, and cerulean met jade. The man, now that she was close enough and there weren't any leaves to obscure her view, looked more like a guy in his mid teens. His horse looked over at her, and promptly knelt down. The little girl smiled as she walked over and rubbed the horse behind its ears.

"What's your name?" the teenager asked, wondering how she managed to get Epona to do that.

"Hakkumi," she whispered, still petting his horse.

"Was that your village back there…?" he asked, voice hesitant.

"Yes, it is," she replied, not looking at him. She, instead, was looking Epona straight in the eye, as if they were conversing.

"Do you know why that happened?"

"I have an idea, but I am not certain." She looked over at him. "Your horse's left hind leg is sprained."

The teenager's mouth dropped open. "How do you know that?"

"She told me." The girl shrugged. She felt her worry and sorrow ebb away, the effect animals always had on her. "But… My village… It was a man with purple hair. He said he was looking for me… and would be back when I was older."

"How old are you?"

"Seven summers."

"Where are you going to go… I mean, after-"

"I don't know." Reality crashed down on her again, and it took everything within her powers to not start crying.

"There's a village up ahead… I can take you there, if you wish." She looked up at him and nodded. Right now, there were few things she wanted more than food and shelter. He reached for her, about to give her a boost onto Epona, when there was a rustling behind him. They both spun around, only to see a mummified _being_ walking towards them.

Obviously, the man didn't have any means of protecting them. She could tell just from the look on his face. Before she knew what was happening, she was midair and then on the horse. The man was swiftly behind her, and the horse was charging at the beast. It moved at the last minute, safe. It didn't look good. Suddenly, a rusty sword appeared out of nowhere, falling into the beast's hand. The girl started hyperventilating, and suddenly there was a bright blue light that surrounded the horse and its riders. When everyone opened their eyes again, the beast was gone. Sighing, the girl fainted.

-

Since that night, Hakkumi had vowed to find her rescuer and thank him. But neither of her self-created quests had made much progress. She wasn't any closer to finding the purple-haired man or her rescuer. And then with the impending _doom_ coming… Things weren't looking good. Deciding that it would be better if Pops saw her practicing, she picked up her wooden sword.

Uncommon as it was for women to be versed in the ways of the blade, in her small farming village it was standard. All girls went into school when they were six summers, and swordplay was one of the most feverishly taught subjects. Hakkumi's schooling had ended last year, but she now had a private tutor who would be coming shortly after lunch.

As she practiced her moves against the air (a very formidable opponent, at times), she started wondering what would have happened if she hadn't been found that night. The creature… She hadn't been able to figure out what _it_ was. It looked like it was after her, though. She still couldn't believe _she_ had gotten the heart. What were the odds! Some normal kid getting something so _valuable_? So _powerful_? It wasn't right. It _should_ have gone to the princess. Suddenly, she heard screams. She ran down the stairs and looked at the chaos outside. _Beasts_ (for she didn't know what the really were) were attacking her village. Dropping her wooden practice sword, she ran for the metal one she kept under her bed. Running back downstairs, she prepared for the worst.

Calling on her necklace never crossed her mind.

-

"Hakkumi, where are we?" one of the little kids clutching her asked. It was dark. It was cold. It had never been like this before. They had had their fair share of storms… But this was different. This was the doom she had sensed.

"I don't know… Everything looks like our village…" _But yet totally different_… Hakkumi said, taking in her surroundings. There were black squares floating down from the heavens (if there were even heavens here), and everything was an eerie shade of blue.

"I'm scared…" the youngest child complained, clutching tighter to her leg.

"Shh, now. Come on, let's go inside," Hakkumi said as she herded the children inside. Later, when they were calmed, she would go back and assess the damage. She knew people had died, she just didn't know how many or who. _Am I the cause of all this trouble?_

"I'm scared…" another child complained. Hakkumi looked at her legs. Seven toddlers were holding on as if she could take care of anything. She sighed. Kids weren't her thing. She was honest, and didn't like to hide the truth. If someone was wrong, she corrected them. That was the way of her old home; no one got to be happily delusional. After all, she hadn't been able to avoid the painful truth. Kids (annoyingly) seemed to be attracted to her, however. Deciding it would be best to get them sleeping, she set them down on the furniture of her home. Pops wasn't anywhere to be seen, and that unnerved her more than she would have liked to admit. She couldn't allow anyone else to die because they were protecting her – one village was enough.

"Okay, you're going to have to let go of my legs now," Hakkumi said as she looked down. "Please. Don't worry. I'll make sure they don't hurt you." Seven pairs of eyes looked cautiously around them before deciding it was okay and releasing their hold. They all crammed onto the four-seater couch, as if being as close as possible would protect them from anything. Hakkumi glanced furtively around before starting the most boring story she had ever heard.

-

_Finally. They're asleep_. Hakkumi sighed. They hadn't all fallen deeply asleep until the story was practically over. Her body protested strongly as she stood up – it was worn out from her sudden attempt at fighting. Groaning, she used two of the very few spells she knew – one was a barrier around the children, ensuring they didn't come to harm, and the other was a duplicate of herself, "sleeping" in one of the nearby chairs. Carefully slinking out of the house, she attempted to prepare herself for what she saw.

There weren't bodies – that's what scared her the most. Everyone was simply _gone_, as if they had been swallowed up into space. She noticed a few people cowering behind boxes and such, and was thankful that she wasn't alone. Pops was gone, however, and that angered her. The place was a disaster. Crops were destroyed, people were gone, and black creatures-

_Wait, black creatures!?_ Hakkumi exclaimed as she noticed the horrible beings surrounding her down. There were four of them, for of the hideous tentacled _things_. _Are they still called tentacles if they can walk…?_ Hakkumi asked, knowing she was distracting herself. Which was good, she figured; no one should ever have to think about those creatures.

Glaring at the world around her, she really wished she _hadn't_ gotten the heart. As powerful as it was, it was no use if you didn't know how to _use_ it. Simple spells worked nicely, but she could only study the basic ones without raising suspicions. She hadn't been able to find anything about the heart except that it picked who it went to and it gave that person great power. And that was it. She didn't know what spells to use, and for that matter she didn't know if she even needed them. But right now, she was simply wishing. Wishing for that hero who had saved her that night – wishing he would save her again.

The heart never denied its master.

-

**Holy crap. Longest chapter _ever_.**

**Review please!**


	2. T w o

**I'm having a lot more fun with this than I thought I would. Review please!**

**AN2: Thanks soo much to **Mr. Lefty **who informed me of my little mess-up. Kudos to you!**

**-**

_12 days._

_12 days without worrying about the fate of Hyrule._

_12 days without the threat of Ganondorf hanging overhead._

_12 days without Midna._

Link glared at the little calendar he kept by his bed. 12 days. That was all.

Life in those 12 days hadn't been fun. He had been asked to retell his "heroic" tales over and over and over again, and he was thoroughly tired of it. The only other person who seemed to tire of his stories was Ilia, probably because she was now realizing everything, in the end, had been done for Midna. No one was willing to give him work to do – it was all too lowly for a man of his "stature". His only true friend at this point was Epona, and even then he couldn't really converse with her unless they ventured out of the village, but even then people flocked to hear of his adventure.

He hated it. Every single last second of it.

There wasn't any action, and that was probably the worst thing. He didn't have anything to take his mind off of the severity of what had happened.

Midna was really gone.

He was a hero, supposedly. He sure didn't see himself as one. It was a life he had been chosen for, a fate he couldn't resist. A hero should be someone who had a say in his future, and decided to try and do something heroic. Not someone who didn't really have a choice.

Midna was really, truly, gone.

That was what haunted him the most. That day, on the hill, when he had seen her true form… She _had_ been too beautiful for words. The only thing he wanted to do was crush his lips to her and… But he couldn't be thinking these things. She was a princess, after all, right? She was from a different dimension, dimensions that should have never met.

_But if we weren't destined to meet, why do I have this symbol on my hand?_ Link thought solemnly.

He loved her. He had only been certain of that when he saw her on the hill, but he knew now that it was the irrevocable truth. Nothing could change that. Even if… Even if she didn't love him. He would always love her, always wait for her, always dream of her. It was horrible, though, the thought that she might not love him. The thought that there might be someone waiting for her back home. Knowing the way kingdoms worked, he was almost certain there was. And then she had to go and break the mirror! He wouldn't be able to see her again, unless there was some kind of miracle. He doubted his luck.

-

Paperwork. It was one of the things Midna disliked most about being a princess. The paperwork. All the trivial little affairs and problems the rest of her people couldn't handle on their own. She had paperwork on that, annoyingly enough. They would all decide to write a formal request, and she would have to go through every _single_ piece, for if she didn't, the public would think that she didn't care about them. Her mother had done that, when she was the princess. It didn't work out well.

But the funny thing was, she would much rather be doing paperwork than _this_. Sitting on her throne, watching as hopeless princes and noblemen kneeled before her, all wanting the spot next to her. They all annoyed her.

Some said that they had done heroic acts. No one could be as heroic as Link.

Some said that they had a way with people. No one was as good with people as Link.

Some said that they were rich. She was rich enough.

Some said that they promised to love her always… She knew she couldn't love them – her heart was taken.

Some promised to protect her. _Protect me from what?_ And anyways, if she was in trouble, she would find some way to get to Link. No one was a better protector than he was.

Their eyes, all of them, lacked that spark that had so entranced her in Link's. They were all cold, vacant, lifeless. Link's… His were raw emotion. Love, hate, fury… It was all there if you knew how to find it. She had turned down countless men, and she was running out of options. Personally, she would rather die than marry anyone _but_ Link, however she knew that it was her duty to produce an heir. She thought that was barbaric. She simply wanted to be happy… With Link.

She hated herself for breaking the mirror. She wouldn't be able to see him, pet his soft fur, hide in his shadow ever again. She thought it was one of her dumbest moves ever. But now, she figured, he was probably married. Or getting married. He had to have at least moved on. Zelda would be able to marry him, at least: in Hyrule it was acceptable for the princess to marry someone who had done an immensely heroic act. Ilia, the girl he had done everything for, she promised to wait for him. Surely they were together now. She had to close the mental pictures out of her head at that thought. She could tolerate Zelda… But Ilia was a different story. Midna wasn't really certain of why she hated the girl so much, she only knew she did. And that was final.

"Princess Midna of Twilight-" another man started, kneeling before her. She wanted terribly to just scream the truth, she loved Link and would never love another, but that wouldn't be proper. She hated the sudden formality of her life. When she had been with Link, it was just them. Friends. Equals. She missed that.

Here, it was portrayed that she, and she alone, saved her kingdom. She wanted desperately to tell everyone that she played little part in it all, that Link had saved her in more ways than she could fathom, but she couldn't. "Light dwellers," as they were called, weren't much liked in Twilight.

_Oops_. The man had stopped talking. "I'm sorry, I don't think you are the right man," Midna answered, feigning an apology.

The man started laughing. He rose to his full height, and Midna decided he was pretty handsome, now that she got a good look at his face. Something about him was oddly familiar.

"My lady, I wasn't asking for your hand." Midna flushed bright red, causing the man to laugh more. "I'm sorry, my lady, I shouldn't be laughing at you. I am surprised you don't remember me…" He smiled, and everything clicked. Throwing formalities to the side, Midna ran down to hug her best Twilight friend.

"I wasn't expecting _that_ kind of reaction, but it is welcome," the man replied to her hug-attack.

"Oh, Ryayn, I've missed you so much!" Midna exclaimed, loosening her grip. "Oh, come, we must go to my quarters so I can hear every last detail!" Midna said as she pulled her friend to her rooms.

-

"So, tell me every last bit about your travels," Midna commanded as they lounged in her private library.

"What do you wish to know the most about?" Ryayn asked, already knowing her answer.

"Well, everything! What's is like, being able to be free from everything? Being able to travel from place to place on a whim?"

"Ah, but I am not free. I am still under the grip of my _brother_," Ryayn spit out the last word. "But, alas, it is wonderful. It pains me, however, to tell you that I am not here to simply talk about my travels, as much as I'd like to. I have discovered something, something horrible. Something that surpasses not only Ganon, but also Zant. Something that intends to take over the world, something that intends to rule both dimensions."

"The being goes by the pseudonym Palenoah for the moment. He is an extremely talented wizard, but that is not enough for him. I supposed you've never heard of 'The Heart of Hyrule?'" Midna shook her head.

"Well, the legend is that many millennia ago, it was believed that a heart existed – a heart that could harness the darkest of dark magic and transform it into the purest of pure magic, almost as easily as a master using a beginner spell. Only those whose lives have been twisted horribly from the wonderful life they were originally supposed to have, by drastic and painful means would receive the heart. It would have extreme magical powers, and the possessor would be able to surpass even the greatest ancient wizards. It is, by far, the most powerful weapon that has ever been created. Many have tried to locate the heart, but no one has succeeded, so far. If the heart fell into the wrong hands, it is highly likely the world would be destroyed. Legends say that all the goddesses combined their powers to make the heart, making a way to protect the world from even the darkest of evils." Midna's eyes grew wide.

"That is all but a myth, from the Light Realm, but it does appear that it is at least based on truth. We, the people of Twilight, are the only ones who still practice the real magic, the powerful magic. And you are the only one who knows spells that can take care of Palenoah for once and for all. Somehow, we need to get you into the Light Realm, and soon. Do you know of any such ways?" Ryayn asked, unknowing of her previous journey above. When you were traveling around the land, you didn't hear the latest news.

For the millionth time, Midna regretted breaking the Mirror of Twilight.

"There _was_ something… But it's broken now," was the reply she came up with.

"What do you mean? What's broken? What have I missed?" Ryayn asked.

"Zant… When he cast my kingdom into a world of shadows… I was turned into an imp and forced into the Light Realm. With a couple of close allies, we defeated him… And I was restored to my natural form. I traveled home through the Mirror of Twilight… And then I shattered it so nothing of the likes could happen again." Midna looked down at her feet.

"The Mirror of Twilight was real…?" Ryayn asked, more to himself. "Is there any way to put it back together?"

"No. It shattered into the desert… In the light realm."

"There must be a way. You are _needed_ there! And not just because of Palenoah… There is another reason that I mustn't tell you of." Ryayn smiled as Midna's head snapped up.

"Come. We must find a way. Let us talk to the sages."

-

"No, you musn't think about the _proper_ attack – it must be the most deadly!" Ty commanded, sidestepping Hakkumi's attack.

"So then why did you insist on teaching me over and over and over how to do it properly?" Hakkumi called back, spinning around only to find that her blade hit Ty's instead of his body.

"Because the attacks should be in your memory so that you don't hurt yourself or use too much energy. It should come naturally!" Ty replied, his blade forcing Hakkumi's back.

"Well let's see how naturally this comes!" she exclaimed as she dropped to the ground and rolled around to his backside, catching him by surprise. She was at full height, her blade resting against his shoulder. Ty started laughing.

"You have surpassed me, little one."

"Hey! I'm not little! I'm taller than you _and_ older than you, kid," Hakkumi reminded him, lifting her blade off his shoulders.

"No, you are not." Ty turned around, and his mood was solemn. "I have taught you everything I know, and yet you still take me by surprise. You are a worthy opponent." His praise caused her to blush and stare at the dirt on the ground.

"Do not be embarrassed. It is something to be proud of. I think that you should make the journey to Castletown the day after tomorrow. I know you have always wanted to get out of here."

"Oh, no, it's not that it's just-" Hakkumi started.

"Hakkumi, when will you realize that I know you better than you do?" Ty asked with a smile.

"When you _do_ know me better, that is when I will realize it," Hakkumi replied with a smile.

"Fair enough." Ty smiled back. "But are you willing to make the journey to Castletown?"

"Yes, of course! It will be wonderful to see how the rest of the world lives!" Hakkumi exclaimed, remembering her childhood promise to find a job in Castletown and get revenge. It would be perfect.

"Good. You best start packing then. I'm afraid I'll have to face your father now, so I cannot help you," Ty replied, smiling at her.

"Oh, don't worry about Pops. He won't be too hard on you… Unless you're planning on asking for my hand in marriage!" Hakkumi replied good-naturedly. "Well, I supposed I'll see you later, then. Good luck." And with those final words, she walked away.

_Oh, if you only knew how right you are…_ Ty thought sadly as he went to discuss matters with her father.

-

"Alright, this is _it_!" Ilia exclaimed as she walked into Link's house. He hadn't really done anything since returning, and she was tired of it.

"What do you mean?" Link asked from his spot on the couch.

"I don't _care_ if you don't love me, and I don't _care_ if you don't want to live without _her_, but I can't allow myself to see the man I love waste his life away! Either you need to move on or you need to find a way to talk to her! I'm sick of all your moping!" Ilia answered, her breathing heavy. Link's eyes grew wide. "Yes, I said I love you! But _you need to get a life_! Go somewhere, do something! I don't care what, just something! Please…" She felt the tears waiting to spill over.

"Ilia…" Link made a move to comfort her, but she held up her hand.

"No. Please, no. If you love me the way I love you, then yes… But otherwise, and I know it's otherwise, please… Don't lead me on. It's hard enough… I don't need to fall for you even more." Now Link could see the tears in her eyes.

He looked down, ashamed. "Ilia, I'm sorry."

"If… If things had been different… No Ganon, no Midna, no Hero of Twilight… Would I have had a chance? Or am I just not enough…?" Ilia looked at him, and though her voice was soft, Link knew she was demanding an answer.

"I don't know," Link answered honestly.

"But, tell me… Did you feel that way for me, even a little bit? Before, I mean." Ilia looked hopeful. Something was better than nothing.

"No… You've always been a sister to me. I wish that was enough, but I know can't be," Link answered, avoiding her eyes.

"Well, that doesn't mean I'm going to let you have such a pathetic excuse for a life," Ilia explained, wanting nothing more than to break down and cry. But Link needed her right now – that was enough. "Go to Castletown. See Agitha or whatever her name is. Play that star game. See Telma. Something, please, Link. Please," Ilia begged.

Link could see the hurt –and the truth- in her eyes. "Okay. I'll go see Telma the day after tomorrow. That better?" Link asked, and Ilia nodded.

"Thank you," Ilia said as she walked out of his house and down the ladder. She loved him – heart, soul, mind, body – but it wasn't enough for him. She still couldn't let him go, though. Selfish as that was, she was positive he was the only one for her. For now, his happiness could –would- be enough.


End file.
